Tank-filling device for steam-propelled vehicles.



No. 685,626. Patented Oct. 29, I901.

. W. B. MASUN.

TANK FILLING DEVICE FOR STEAM PROPELLED VEHICLES.

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No. 685,626. Patented Oct. 29, Hill.

w. B. MASON. TANK FILLING DEVICE FOR STEAM PROPELLED VEHICLES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. MASON, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASsicNOR TOSTHE MASONREGULATOR OOMPANY, or sAoo, MAI E, A CORPORATION OF MAINE. A

TANK-FILLING DEVICE FOR STEAM-PROPELLED VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,626, dated October29, 1901.

Application filed August 31, 1901. Serial No. 70,877. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. MASON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk,-State of Massachusetts,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Water-Tank-FillingDevices for Steam-Propelled Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification, ref- 7 erence beinghad therein to the accompanyio ingdrawings.

The invention comprises means designed for enabling the water-tank of asteam-propelled motor-vehicle to be filled quicklyand readily from anyconvenientlyaccessible :5 store of water. One aim in View in connectionwith the invention has been, to provide means for enabling the saidwater-tank to be refilled with quickness and convenience, wheneverdesired, from a stream, pond, or

similar supply of Water as, for example,

when the contents of the water-tank run low during a trip through thecountry.

Much inconvenience frequently is experienced by persons usingmotor-vehicles in consequence of exhaustion of the water-supply duringtrips at places where water is near at hand, but where facilities fortransferring the same to the water-tank of the vehicle are deficient Orentirely lacking.

The'invention consists in thecombination, in a motorvehicle, with thewater-tank thereof, of a suction-pipe of suitable length to onable thesame when extended to reach from the vehicle to the body of water fromwhich the desired supply is to be drawn, means for drawing water throughthe said suction-pipe and forcing it into the water-tank, and means forstoring the said suction-pipe in compact shape on the vehicle. 7

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which the preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in section on a vertical plane,showing a portion of a motor-vehicle having the said embodiment of theinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar View, on asomewhat-enlarged scale, showing only the suction-pipe and the parts 50which are more immediately'associated therewith. Fig. 3 shows, mainly inplan, the parts of Fig. 2, with certain portions thereof in sec- .samefigure.

tion on a horizontal plane and part of the casing broken-away for thepurpose of more clearly presenting features that otherwise would beconcealed. V v

' Having reference to the drawings, part of the body of .a motor-vehicleis indicated ata, Fig. 1, the water-tank being indicated at b,

At 0 is shown piping for conve ying water toward the said water-tank,The said piping has combined therewith means for producing a-fiow ofwater there through and forcing or injectingthe said water into thewater-tank. The said means may vary in practice and may or may not besuch as thatillustrated in the drawings. Preferably I employ adevice cl,Fig. 1, acting on the well-known injector principle, the steam-pipethereof being designated (1' and 7c the valve, or, more properly, thecontrollinghandle thereof,'beingdesignated d T The suction-pipe is shownat e. It is cons'tituted of a length of hose having the, inner endthereof in permanent though disconnectible communication with the pipingi from which the needed supply is to bedrawn. I

A considerable length of hose is employed,

sufficient to reach fromthe motor-vehicle to a store of water withinconvenient proximity to the motor-vehicle. I therefore provide'inconnection therewith means for taking upand storing the said hose whenit .is not in use. The said means preferably is constructed after thefashion of a reel and arranged to wind up the said hose when it isdesired to store the-latter and to unwind and deliver up the 0 requiredlength thereof for use at any given time. Such a form thereof isillustrated in the drawings. It is provided with a rotary head f, withwhich the inner end of the suction pipe or hosee is connected, as shownin 5 Fig. 3, by a suitable coupling device, asf. The rotation of thesaid head winds the suction pipe Or hose e upon the exterior thereof,preferably in the form of a flat spiral within a flat casing g, that isattached by bolts g g ion to the bottom of the body'a of the vehicle.This arrangement enables the construction to be kept very compact, andinasmuch as the incased apparatus fits closely against the said body anddoes not project to any n0- ticeable extent it 'is not conspicuous norin the way. The head f is furnished with a hub f projecting throughcasing g and having fitted thereto one end of the piping c. The saidhead is formed with a water-passage f leading from the couplingf to thecenter of the head and thence lengthwise of the said hub f". In theillustrated construction the corresponding end of piping c enters intothe bore of hubf the joint between the two being suitably packed, as atf and provided with a gland f. This mode of connecting the head andpiping permits the head to rotate as the hose eis unwound therefrom orrewound thereon. For convenience in turning or rotating the head, as inwinding the hose upon the same, the hub'f has connected therewith aseries of radiating arms or handlesf f i. In order that thehose 6 mayWind smoothly and compactly in a perfect spiral, the head f is formed ofa volute or' snail shape in'plan, as shown in Fig. 3, the inner end ofthe hose being attached to the radiallyprojecting end of the portion ofgreatest diameter and beginning to wind upon the portion of leastdiameter, the difference between the said diameters being equal to thediameterof the hose itself.

The casingg has a hole in the side thereof at g Fig. 3, through whichthe suction pipe or hose 6 is drawn. Preferably in practice the lengthof the said suction pipe 01' hose will be just sufficient to fill theinterior space of the casing when such length is coiled up, leaving thesuction-box e projecting slightly at the opening g I claim asmy-invention 1.In combination, in a self-propelled vehicle,thevehicle-body, the water-receptacle carried thereby, means for forcingWaterinto the said water-receptacle, the flexible suction-pipe incommunication with the said means and receptacle, and a take-up to retract the said suction-pipe when not in use.

2. 'In combination, in a self-propelled vehicle, the vehicle-body, theWater-receptacle carried thereby, means for forcing water into the saidwater-receptacle, the flexible suction-pipe in communication with thesaid means and receptacle, and a rotary take-up to retract saidsuction-pipe when it is not in use.

3. In combination, in a self-propelled vehicle, the vehicle-body, thewater-receptacle carried thereby, a reelin communication with saidreceptacle, asuction-pipe Wound on said reel, and means for occasioninga flow of water into the water-receptacle.

4. In combination, in a self-propelled vehicle, the vehicle-body, thewater-receptacle applied thereto, the reel having a passageway for Watercommunicating with said water-receptacle, the flexible suction-pipeconnected with the said reel, and means to cause a flow of water throughsaid pipe and reel into the said receptacle.

5. In combination, the waterreceptacle, the rotatable hub having avolute-shaped exterior and a passage-way for water communieating withsaid water-receptacle, a flexible suction-pipe wound on the said hub,and

means for forcing water into the said waterreceptacle.

6. In combination, the water-receptacle, the rotatable hub having apassageway for water communicating with said water-receptacle, theinjector, and the flexible suctionpipe wound on the said hub.

7. In combination, the water-receptacle, the rotatable hub having apassage-Way for water communicating with said water-receptacle, theinjector, the flexible suction-pipe wound on the said hub, and thecasing inclosiug said hub and suction-pipe and having the openingthrough which the suction-pipe may be drawn.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. MASON. Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDALL, WM. A. MAoLEoD.

